Wharton on symphony: 'It would not be Memphis without it.'

Mayor A C Wharton Jr. discussed Memphis Symphony Orchestra's financial woes and said he'll continue to work with symphony leaders on a solution.

Wayne Risher

January 31, 2014 — Members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra perform near the TSA checkpoint in Concourse B at Memphis International Airport Friday afternoon. The symphony is in financial trouble and says it must radically restructure. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

Civic leaders on Friday called the Memphis Symphony Orchestra a crucial community institution and expressed optimism a solution will be found to its financial woes.

City and county mayors acknowledged the obvious, that government can't provide the "Hail Mary" that would cure the symphony's ills, but said they're committed to working with orchestra leaders.

"They mean so much to the city," Memphis Mayor A C Wharton said after a parade down Beale Street. "If you go and look, oddly enough, you might wonder why did it take so long to hit Memphis. Nashville, of course, Nashville got bailed out by Ms. (Martha) Ingram. San Francisco. There have been places where the symphony orchestras actually closed, so we're hurt by it, we're shocked by it, we're down but we're not defeated. That's the main thing."

Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell Jr. organized a gathering of corporate leaders last March that provided a $1.8 million infusion to sustain the symphony through the end of the current season in May.

Symphony officials said Thursday the organization needs either radical restructuring or a massive donation to continue next season. They said the symphony would be broke by April with no action, but they were confident that cost-cutting and other measures will help them finish the current season.

"The Memphis Symphony Orchestra has been an essential part of our city's identity since 1952," Muller said. "For Memphis to have a symphony in a city our size is a great attraction for companies and people who are looking for a diverse cultural environment."

John Sprott, retired principal percussionist and president of Local 71 of the American Federation of Musicians, said, "I'm not sure if Memphis is able to support a full-time orchestra or not."

Musicians took a 10 percent pay cut in 2009 and haven't gotten a pay raise since, he said. "I don't know how much more we can cut and still be able to live."

High profile performances represent only a small part of what the orchestra does. It works with Special Olympics, Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, Soulsville and many others. "If the orchestra goes away, Memphis is going to lose that," Sprott said.

County government has provided some funding in the past, but, like the city, isn't in position to do so currently, Luttrell said.

He sees local governments providing leadership and marshaling community support for a combination of private, public and nonprofit dollars to make it self-sustaining.

"A great community is one that has the arts, performing arts, fine art, ballet, symphony, opera. It hurts to lose something like our symphony that's been around 60-plus years. The bigger question that has to be raised for the community is, ‘Is this something our community is willing to accept, and if not, how can we come up with an acceptable revenue flow to keep it open?' " Luttrell said.

He added, "I would hope at some point in county government, we would be able to provide some support. It would have to be something further down the road."

Luttrell said the symphony board's chairwoman is the right person to lead a community conversation on the issue.

"I know we have given it a great shot with Gayle Rose's leadership, and now we have to start looking for another financial model that might work."

Wharton said the city's music heritage demands a first-rate symphony. "It would not be Memphis without it. And we're going to pull through this somehow."

Wharton said he appreciated Rose's approach. "She didn't come in and say, ‘Mayor, give me $5 million.' She said ‘Will you help me?' It might not be one Hail Mary. It may be 1,000 little Hail Marys that will amount up to that. "